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District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act
Act of 16 April 1862 that freed about 3,000 enslaved people in Washington and paid owners up to $300 for each.
- Dates
- 16 Apr 1862
- Wikidata
- Q5283407
Connections 3
enacted by
- U.S. Congress Apr 1862 Primary record 12
- Abraham Lincoln 16 Apr 1862 Primary record 1
features
- Philip Reid freed by the act Primary record 1
Timeline 3 dates
- Apr 1862 U.S. Congress signed into law District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act
- 16 Apr 1862 District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act
- 16 Apr 1862 Abraham Lincoln signed into law District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act
Proof 2 sources
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Emancipation in Washington, D.C., National Park Service.
Primary record
Congress passed the act in a landslide vote, and President Lincoln signed it on April 16, 1862.
One of the enslaved people freed by the act was 42-year-old Philip Reid.
Philip Reid’s name is listed at the bottom, his life valued at $500.
He was casting the 19 1/2-foot-tall Statue of Freedom
Congress passed a supplemental law in July 1862 that allowed these victims to file petitions on their own behalf.
Though the formerly enslaved people found freedom by advocating for themselves, they did not receive the $300 payments.
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The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, U.S. Senate.
Primary record
the act freed slaves in the District of Columbia and compensated owners up to $300 for each freeperson.
Page history 1 change
- Add 55 stories, each checked against its sources96e92fe6
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